News

Straight from IRCC

Official announcements from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — the department that actually decides your application. We link to the source rather than paraphrasing it, because a summary of a policy change is not a policy change.

24 announcements, updated September 9, 2026. Full IRCC newsroom

2026

Announcement titles and summaries are reproduced from the Government of Canada feed in the language it publishes, so they are quoted exactly rather than translated by us. Headlines and summaries are reproduced from the Government of Canada news feed under the terms of the Open Government Licence – Canada. Arrivée is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of Canada.

The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan

Every year the government tables a three-year plan setting how many people Canada intends to admit, split by category. It is the number behind almost every announcement on this page — when a program’s allocation moves, its processing and its cut-offs move with it.

380,000

Permanent residents a year

Held flat across 2026–2028, within a range of 350,000 to 420,000.

385,000

New temporary residents in 2026

Falling to 370,000 for the two years after. Arrivals, not the total number already here.

9%

French-speaking, outside Quebec

Rising to 10.5% by 2028 — about 35,175 people.

Permanent residents, by category

Target for each year, with IRCC’s planning range beneath it.

Category202620272028
Economic
Federal High Skilled109,00085,000–120,000111,00086,000–122,000111,00086,000–122,000
Federal Business500250–1,000500250–1,000500250–1,000
Federal Economic Pilots8,1755,000–11,8008,7756,600–12,4008,7756,600–12,400
Atlantic Immigration Program4,0003,000–5,0004,0003,000–5,0004,0003,000–5,000
Provincial Nominee Program91,50082,000–105,00092,50082,000–106,00092,50082,000–106,000
Quebec Skilled Workers and BusinessTBDTBDTBD
Total economic239,800224,000–264,000244,700229,000–268,000244,700229,000–268,000
Family
Spouses, partners and children69,00063,000–75,00066,00060,000–71,00066,00060,000–71,000
Parents and grandparents15,00013,000–19,00015,00013,000–19,00015,00013,000–19,000
Total family84,00078,500–92,00081,00075,000–90,00081,00075,000–90,000
Refugees and protected persons
Protected persons in Canada and dependants abroad20,00017,000–30,00020,00017,000–30,00020,00017,000–30,000
Resettled refugees — government assisted13,25010,000–15,50013,25010,000–15,50013,25010,000–15,500
Resettled refugees — blended visa office referred500–100500–100500–100
Resettled refugees — privately sponsored16,00013,000–19,00016,00013,000–18,00016,00013,000–18,000
Total refugees and protected persons49,30042,000–55,00049,30042,000–55,00049,30042,000–55,000
Humanitarian and other
Humanitarian and compassionate1,1001,000–3,0001,000700–2,9001,000700–2,900
Other5,8004,500–8,0004,0003,200–6,0004,0003,200–6,000
Total humanitarian and other6,9006,000–9,0005,0004,000–7,0005,0004,000–7,000
Overall planned permanent resident admissions380,000350,000–420,000380,000350,000–420,000380,000350,000–420,000
Federal High Skilled:
Express Entry — Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades.
Federal Economic Pilots:
Caregivers, Agri-Food, Community Immigration Pilots and the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot.
Quebec Skilled Workers and Business:
Quebec sets its own economic immigration levels; IRCC lists these as to be determined.

Temporary residents, by stream

New arrivals in each year. Workers and students already in Canada are not counted again.

Category202620272028
Workers (total)230,000220,000220,000
International Mobility Program170,000170,000170,000
Temporary Foreign Worker Program60,00050,00050,000
Students155,000150,000150,000
Overall arrivals385,000375,000–395,000370,000360,000–380,000370,000360,000–380,000

Published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on November 5, 2025. A levels plan is tabled once a year, so these figures stand until the next one — unlike the draw results on our tools page, which are refreshed daily. Read the plan on canada.ca